Five men were arrested for allegedly trying to obtain sexual services from a minor after they reportedly responded to a fake ad police had posted online.
The Durham Regional Police Service in Ontario, Canada, revealed that it posted the fake advertisement that offered sexual services from minors as part of a sting operation which resulted in a series of arrests and many charges.
Undercover police posted the ad, according to Durham Radio News, which authorities said was visited more than 6,600 times in a span of just four days. Police also said they received messages from more than 600 different phone numbers.
“An ad was published to create the illusion that individuals can purchase sexual services from minors,” police said, according to Global News. Police also posed as minors online as part of the operation as well.
Investigators subsequently arrested five men between the ages of 28 and 48 years old, laying 15 charges in total.
Krish Subiah, 37, Rajwant Singh, 30, Mahbubar Rahman, 48, Sarangan Kirupamoorthy, 28, and Rajasekaran Natarajan, 38, were all arrested.
All five men were charged with luring a child for the purpose of obtaining sexual services (under 18 years), obtaining sexual services (under 18 years), and invitation to sexual touching (under 16 years).
The ad was part of an ongoing initiative called Project Firebird aimed at going after individuals who are looking to obtain sexual services from children, CP24 reported. The project also involves supporting victims and potential victims.
“This project would not be possible without the support of the Ontario government funding to our Children at Risk of Exploitation (CARE) unit,” police said, per Insauga. “Our CARE unit has specialized teams that pair police officers with child protection workers to proactively identify, investigate, locate, and engage children and youth who are at high risk of child sex trafficking.”
The arrests came a week after a 21-year-old man, also in the Toronto, Canada, area, was charged for allegedly sex trafficking a teenage girl.
The Toronto Star reported that the teen was forced into the sex trade “while the male exercised control over numerous aspects of her life, while profiting from it.”
A man named Elijah Grey was arrested and charged with human trafficking under 18 years old, receiving material benefit under 18 years old, advertising sexual services, and making child pornography.
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